Galerians: Ron
by JMD-009
Summary: complete Ron's life changes forever when he begins to manifest unique abilities. Soon he finds himself involved in a struggle that will determine the fate of mankind.
1. The Mysterious Child

Authors Note

This fic is based on the cartoon Kim Possible and the video game Galerians. Don't worry about having no knowledge of the game though, I'm going way AU with it.

Galerians: Ron

The Mysterious Child

The young blonde haired boy could hear the muffled voices of his parents coming from down the hall. Curiosity getting the better of him, he slid out of bed and opened his bedroom door a crack to hear better.

"Hurry up and pack Elsa!" He heard his father say. The sound of his voice held a panic the boy had never heard in his father before. "Just take what you can carry and then we'll get Rion!"

The sound of a bag being zipped could be heard before his mother spoke. "Are you certain they're coming?"

"Of course they are! Rion's a threat to them now!"

The voices were getting closer now and he could hear his mother fighting back tears. "We should never have done this to him! He'll never have a normal life now!"

The boy could see his parents now, they were just outside his room. They stopped as his father pulled his mother into a comforting embrace. "If this doesn't work no one will."

After a moment his parents picked the bags back up and continued down the stairs. The boy crept out of his room as they walked in silence to the front door and added the bags they carried to the two already their. He stopped at a spot upstairs where he could just see the entrance but not easily be seen himself.

"Alright." His father said as they turned back towards the stairs. "Let's get Rion and get out of here."

Before they could get anywhere the front door burst inward sending shards of wood flying in all directions. Eight men dressed in SWAT gear and wielding assault weapons rushed in. They trained their weapons on the boy's terrified parents.

Another man walked in once all was clear. He was tall with silver hair pulled back in a ponytail and an eye patch that looked almost metallic.

"Hello Dr. Albert Steiner." The man said almost mockingly. "I thought you were smarter than to try something like this."

The boy saw his father step in front of his mother and glare defiantly at the man. The man just laughed at his foolish heroics.

"Dr. Lem." His father said in a voice colder than he had ever heard from him. "He's not here! He's already somewhere you will never find him."

"Really?" The man asked as he bent down and picked up a plush toy that had been sitting amongst the bags by the door. "Then this is your stuffed… what is this some sort of hairless rodent?"

Tossing the toy aside he continued. "I just want the boy. Give him to me and I give you my word you will not be harmed."

"Never!" His father exclaimed and lunged forward with a hard punch to the man's face. The man grinned at his father's shock when his head barely snapped back from the blow. In an instant his father was being held by his throat a foot above the floor.

His mother surged forward to help her husband. She barely made it two steps before a gunshot rang out and she fell motionless to the floor.

"Momma!" The boy couldn't help but cry out, catching the attention of all the other occupants.

"Run Rion!" He heard his father's strangle cry.

With a squeeze of the man's hand he could hear his father's neck snap before he was simply tossed aside. "I'll get him."

The boy took off in a run and went to what had always been his safe haven, his room. He crawled under his bed and tried to be as quiet as he could.

The boy could hear the strange man searching for him in the various rooms upstairs. As his own door opened he found himself holding his breath out of fear. The footsteps sounded like anvils as they echoed on the floor. Finally he heard his door close and let out the breath he'd been holding.

His bed was suddenly lifted from over him and casually thrown against the wall. The man who had murdered his parents loomed over him with a sinister grin on his face. "Now I have you Rion!"

The boy could only scream as the man's hands came down towards him.

---------------0010100---------------

Ron woke screaming. He sat bolt upright in his bed breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Slowly he regained his composure and felt familiar weight in his lap. Glancing down he saw the newly awakened naked mole rat looking at him worriedly.

"It's alright Rufus." He assured his little friend. "I'm fine, really. Go back to sleep."

Rufus shook his head and squeaked a no. He followed Ron who had walked over to his desk. He jumped up and sat in a corner of the messy desk as Ron opened a thick notebook he had begun to keep there.

It wasn't the first time Ron had had weird dreams. Not by a long shot in fact. He could never get right back to sleep after one though. His thoughts being to jumbled afterwards. Quickly he found that if he wrote the dream down he could organize his thoughts faster and get back to sleep.

This dream wasn't like the rest though. They were usually fragmented and vague. This one was so strong and clear it scared him. He was thankful his parents were out of town or else they certainly would have heard that scream.

As he wrote down this newest dream one thought kept going over and over in his mind; who the hell is Rion?


	2. Visions

Galerians: Ron

Visions

Ron slowly walked down the street towards Kim's house.  He met her there most mornings so they could walk to school together.  More times than not he was late.  He wouldn't be today though, despite how slowly he was moving.

Sleep hadn't come back to him last night.  For the first time writing down his dream had not helped.  He tried working out to try and wear himself down, but that didn't work either.  So now he was exhausted from lack of sleep and sore from hours of pushing his limits physically.  What a way to start the day.  On the plus side he would be on time for a change.

As Ron arrived at Kim's and knocked on the door he could only hope that he didn't look as beat as he felt.  Of course that was too much to ask for.

"Ron!  You're early… you look awful!"  Mrs. Dr. Possible exclaimed as she answered the door.

"Gee, way to make a guy feel welcome Dr. P."  Ron stifled a yawn as she let him inside.  Seeing the look she gave him he cut the wise cracks.  "I'm fine, really.  Just didn't sleep well."

"Well, we're just sitting down to breakfast so you're going to join us and get a decent meal in you at least."  Her tone would have brooked no argument had Ron actually been someone who would turn down a free meal.  As it was he quickened his pace a step for the kitchen.

The rest of the Possible family was already well into their breakfast when the two entered the room.  Everyone stopped mid-motion when the saw Ron.

"Ron!"  One of the twins exclaimed.  Tim, Jim, who really knew which was which anymore?

"You're early!"  The other twin added.

"That's just unheard of!"

Ron just smiled and gave a slight chuckle at their outburst, too tired to think of a witty remark.  He took the plate of bacon and eggs Mrs. Possible handed him and sat down across from Kim.  As he ate he could feel Kim's eyes on him and knew she noticed his current state, so he decided to answer her question before she asked it.

"I'm fine KP.  Just couldn't sleep last night.  To borrow your phrase, no big."

---------------0010100---------------

Breakfast had definitely done him good, Ron thought as he and Kim exited her house.  Not as energizing as a good nap would be right now, but good enough in a pinch.

As soon as the front door closed Kim turned and stared at him again.  He'd expected this though.  She didn't seem to buy his explanation during the meal.  Probably just let it drop because her parents were there.

"Are you sure you're alright?"  She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.  "It's not just the tiredness thing.  I saw you wince when you reached for the salt at breakfast."

"I'm good.  Just pulled something working out to try and tire myself to sleep last night."

She looked at him for a moment longer before accepting it and breaking out in a smile.  She proudly held up a set of keys.  "Alright.  But you'll be glad to know we're not walking today.  Dad lent me the car!"

At Ron's pointed look she added.  "Alright, so Mom had to puppy dog pout him into it!  The point is I have the car!"

The two friends laughed as they turned and headed for the garage, Ron a few steps behind Kim.

_Rion!_

Ron spun around looking for the source of the voice that seemed to echo from all around him.  Finding nothing he looked to Kim who had stopped when she noticed he had.  "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Nothing I guess."  He told her as they started again for the garage.  He cast one look back over his shoulder as they went.

---------------0010100---------------

"Could I have a volunteer to read the next passage?"  Ms. Gibson asked the class.  As these things tend to go no one raised their hand.  Prepared for this the teacher looked around for a student to 'volunteer'.  Her eyes stopped on a blonde haired boy currently slumped over his desk drooling on his open textbook.

"Mr. Stoppable."  No response.

"Mr. Stoppable!"  Still no response.

"MR. STOPPABLE!"  Again, no response from the sleeping boy.

Seeing the English teacher getting more and more worked up a nearby student kicked Ron's chair.  His head was tossed up slightly from the impact and came smashing back down on the desk.  Finally he awoke, groaning as he wiped his mouth and brought his hand to his suddenly sore head.

"Now Mr. Stoppable, if you would read the passage on page forty two?"  The obviously frustrated teacher said through clenched teeth.

Ron was oblivious to this as he replied.  "Sure, all you had to do was ask."

---------------0010100---------------

"Maybe you should have stayed home today Ron."  Kim told him as they were gathering books for their next class from their lockers.  "You're sleeping heavier than usual in class."

Ron banged his fist against his locker, still working on getting it open.  His locked was stuck again.  "I'm here now, I might as well stick it out."

The locker door finally gave in and opened just as the bell rang.  "I'll meet you in class Kim.  Just got to get my books."

"Alright."  She said as she started walking down he hall.  "But try not to fall asleep in this one.  I think that jock got a perverse thrill from kicking your chair."

The halls quickly emptied as he placed last class's books in the locker and took the ones he needed.  As he closed the locker and slung his backpack over one shoulder, Ron caught sight of something in his peripheral vision.

Quickly turning he saw a girl with light brown, almost reddish, hair disappear around the corner.  He knew logically that he had never seen her before but at the same time she seemed so familiar.  Class forgotten he decided to follow the mystery girl.

As he round the corner he found himself in a hall that dead-ended at the empty gym.  The girl was nowhere to be found.

---------------0010100---------------

Ron went home as soon as school ended that day.  Usually he would end up at Buenos Nachos for some after school snackage, but not today.  He was too beat to bother.  Rufus was disappointed, but understood.  Kim was more than a little surprised and worried when he told her no snackage today.

He managed to reassure her with a goofy smile and equally goofy joke.  It was scary how often that would work.

As he made it home he went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed.  He was out like a light before he even hit the mattress.

---------------0010100---------------

He stood in darkness.  It was above him, below him, all around him.  He wasn't even sure what he was standing on.  If he was indeed standing on anything at all.

"Rion!"  A voice called out behind him.

Turning around he saw a person standing out among the darkness.  It was the same girl he had seen in the hall earlier that day.  He was able to get a better look at her now that she wasn't running the other way.  She was around his age and just a little bit shorter than him.  She wore a pair of black pants and a white sweater.  Her hair came to her shoulders and her brown eyes bore into him with relief, anxiety, and fear.

"I'm sorry."  He told her.  "I don't know who that is.  My name is Ron."

She continued on as if he had never spoken.  Her voice was panicked.  "You have to help me Rion!  They're after me!  I don't know how long I can hide!"

"Who's after you?  What's going on?"

The girl reached out for him as she seemed to be pulled backwards by an unseen force.  "Help me Rion!"

Ron ran after the girl as those words echoed through the darkness.  The more he ran the further away she seemed to get.

"Wait!"  He called out.  "Who is after you?  How can I help you?  What's your name?"

---------------0010100---------------

Ron sat bolt upright in bed for the second night in a row.  Wiping the sweat from his brow, one word came from his lips.

"Lilia."


	3. Awakening

Galerians: Ron

Awakening

Kim and Ron walked through the doors of Middleton High together just like any other day.  Kim was complaining about not getting the car not noticing that Ron wasn't paying any attention.  He simply smiled and gave the occasional nod and noise of agreement.

He was just glad that she hadn't noticed that he was just as beat as the day before.  The dream of that girl Lilia asking for help disturbed him.  It didn't seem like just a dream, but what else could it be?  He didn't even bother to write it down in his notebook like usual.  After gathering his thoughts for a few minutes Ron laid back down and tried to get back to sleep.  A part of him was hoping she would come back and tell him more.

Despite that trying to sleep he still didn't get much.  He made a conscious effort to hide it from Kim though, and so far it was working.  Well, a conscious effort and a pot of coffee.  If it works it works.

As they made it to their lockers Kim finally finished her rant and worked on her combo.  As the door opened Wade's face popped up onto the screen tucked inside.

Kim gave her customary.  "Hey Wade, what's the sitch?"

"Drakken's up to the usual."

Ron couldn't see it from his place behind her but he could tell Kim was rolling her eyes.  "What else is new?  What exactly is he up to this time?"

"He and Shego stole a laptop with access codes for a satellite."

"So what?"  Ron joked.  "Maybe he just doesn't get cable at his lair."

"This isn't a television satellite Ron.  It's military and equipped with a laser that can take out a small city."

"Yah, that'd suck."

Kim gave him a slight chuckle before turning back to Wade.  "Any idea where they are now?"

"Of course."  The young genius told her.  "I was able to track them to their current lair by a tracking chip in the laptop.  Your ride will be outside in ten.  You should be there long before Drakken's able to break the laptop's encryption."

"You seriously rock Wade!"  Kim told him before the screen went blank.

---------------0010100---------------

Like so many missions before it this one involved the duo jumping out of a plane.  It was amazing what could become routine.  It had taken a long while for Ron to get used to it, but at least he did not fall on his ass on every landing anymore.  Just some of them.

They silently landed on the rooftop of the large building just outside of Detroit that Drakken was currently using.  With practiced ease they removed their parachutes and tucked them out of site.  Wordlessly they went straight for the air duct and climbed in.

Slowly through the duct they made their way down to the first floor.  There was some interference so that was the best Wade could pinpoint the laptop.  They found an empty hall and dropped down into a graceful crouch.  Well, Kim dropped down in a graceful crouch while Ron fell on his ass.  Surprisingly he didn't make any more noise than she did though.

The pair carefully but quickly made their way down the hall, looking in the side rooms as they went.  Ron was a couple of steps behind Kim when he suddenly stopped.  A blinding pain shot through his head and his hands went to his temples on reflex.

Through the pain Ron saw images jump into his mind.  A group of three guards were walking down a corridor that looked like it connected with the one they were in.

The pain stopped as quickly as it had come.  Without hesitation Ron ran forward, grabbed Kim and pulled her sharply into a side room.

"What do you think you're…"  She was cut off when Ron's hand covered her mouth.

Seconds later the footsteps of guards could be heard as they turned down the hall.  They waited for them to pass, huddled against the small room's wall trying not to make any noise.  When the guards were gone Ron removed his hand and the two let out breaths they had not realized they had been holding.

Kim looked at Ron with surprise.  "How did you know?"

"Good ears, kp."  He lied.  After all, he didn't exactly understand himself.

As they got back on the move Kim thought that maybe she should start giving Ron more credit.  His instincts were obviously a lot better than she had thought.

In short order they found the lab with the laptop.  Inside Shego and Drakken were arguing (big surprise) over where to fire the satellite's laser.

"I'm telling you Shego, Disney Land is the perfect target!"  He insisted to Shego who was obviously at the end of her rope. 

"If you're going to do it then do it right and aim for a capitol city like Washington!  What is your obsession with Disney Land anyways?  This is the third time you've wanted to blow it up!"  She said angrily.  After a minute she added mockingly.  "What?  Did the little mouse scare you and give you nightmares?"

"Rodents aren't supposed to talk!"  Drakken exclaimed before clapping a hand over his mouth, realizing he had just let his fear of Mickey out in the open.

Drakken's outburst caused Rufus to pop out of his pocket hideaway and give an indignant 'hey'.  Deciding it best to intervene before Rufus decide to take on Drakken and Shego by himself, Kim stepped into view.

"Drakken's irrational phobias aside, it's time to go to jail."

"Kim Possible!  You know what I can't even act surprised anymore.  Shego, go hurt her."

"That's the first smart thing I've actually heard you say."  Shego said as she tackled Kim.

As the two women fought Drakken turned back to the laptop.  Of course Drakken being… well… Drakken, he completely forgot about Ron.  Which is why he never saw the hard punch to his face coming.  He was, however, able to hit the last key he needed as he fell unconscious to the ground.

Apparently he had been able to get around the encryption faster than expected.  The laptop screen had a countdown appear in large red letters.  The countdown echoed throughout the whole room in a computerized voice through speakers set up for just this purpose.

"Ron!"  Kim exclaimed as she ducked a roundhouse from Shego.  "Stop the countdown!"

She pulled out her kimmunicator as she tried to sweep out Shego's legs.  As she came back up Kim tossed it to Ron so he could get Wade's help.  Unfortunately Shego was able to swat it in totally different direction.

The kimmunicator landed on the complete opposite side of the room.  With only ten seconds left on the clock there was no time to retrieve it.  He had no idea what to do.

As the panic swelled the blinding pain from earlier returned in force.  One hand again went to his temple to try and sooth the pain.  The other landed on the laptop.  The air around that hand began to crackle with a blue energy.  A wisp of smoke rose from the keyboard and the countdown stopped.

The pain subsided just as quickly as before.  Ron just stood there breathing hard and staring at the blank screen in shock.  That's how he was when Kim came up beside him a few minutes later having finished her fight with Shego and retrieved the kimmunicator.

"That's amazing Ron!"  She exclaimed.  "How'd you stop it?"

"I don't know."  He said honestly.

"Dumb luck huh."

Ron managed to force a smile on his face.  "How many times do I have to tell you?  It's dumb skills Kim."

---------------0010100---------------

Ron was quiet the entire trip home.  Kim thought it was odd, they had close calls before and they never affected him like this.  She shook it off though figuring he just needed some time and that things would be back to normal tomorrow.

Of course it was not the close call that worried him.  It was how he had stopped it that worried him.  It was all he could think about as he and Kim parted ways.  Something was happening to him and he didn't know what.  The worry, anxiety and fear were so great that by the time he got home he was almost at the breaking point.

"Hey son, your mom and I just got back."  His dad greeted as he came through the door.  "Dinner should be ready soon."

Ron didn't even acknowledge him as he walked towards the stairs.

"Are you alright Ron?"  His mother asked.

"I'm fine."  He said curtly.

His parents exchange worried glances before his dad asked again.  "Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine!!!"  Ron exclaimed from the stairs, his emotions already running high.  The photos that lined the stairway began to shake from his outburst before the glass gave in and exploded.

"I… I… I don't… I."  Ron stuttered in shock at what had just happened.

His parents exchanged another glance before his mother nodded.  His father sighed and looked up at him.  "Ronald, we need to have a talk.  There are some things you should know.  Maybe you should sit down for this son."


	4. The Hero I Call Dad

Galerians: Ron

The Hero I Call Dad

A confused Ron was led into the living room by his parents.  They sat him down in a chair across from the couch were they sat.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence his father began to speak.  "There is no easy way to say this so we'll just say it.  We're not your biological parents Ron."

"You have to understand that we love you very much.  We couldn't love you more if you were our own flesh and blood.  As far as we are concern you are our son and we are your parents."  His mother added as she looked at him pleadingly.

So many emotions flooded through Ron in that moment.  Anger, resentment, confusion, but most of all hurt.  His parents stayed quite as he was absorbing everything.  When he finally spoke his voice quivered.

"So I'm adopted?"

"In a matter of speaking."  His father told him, not able to meet his gaze.

Confusion became the dominant emotion on Ron's face at his father's comment.  "I don't understand.  In a matter of speaking?"

His father gripped his mother's hand for support.  With a sigh he finally looked up and met Ron's gaze.  "I knew I would have to tell you this sooner or later, but it's not something that is difficult to remember.

"Before you came into our lives your mother and I lived in Michelangelo City.  Back then my name was Gary Stevens and your mother's was Anna.  I was in my mid twenties and worked at Michelangelo Memorial Hospital in genetics. 

"Their research department was doing revolutionary things.  That was mostly because of Doctor Lem.  He would show up every once in awhile with data that would send the senior scientist into a frenzy.  No one knew where he got the data.  No one cared.  I never had access to any of that though.

"I was young and new so I was in a lab researching mostly on cancerous rats, but I still heard the rumours.  Rumours that human experimentation was going on.  I believed them to be just that, rumours.  That was until I accidentally saw a file left on a colleague's desk.

"They had a four year old boy in there and were experimenting on him!  They gave him what should have been lethal doses of drugs that stimulate the brain in different ways to various ends!  It was sickening!  So I decided to do something about it!"

---------------0010100---------------

Gary traveled through the halls trying not to look as nervous as he felt.  The upper three floors of Michelangelo Memorial were devoted to genetics research.  He only had access to the first of the three where the more publicly acceptable research was done.

Now, however, he was on the third after 'borrowing' Dr. Travers' access card.  And by borrowing he means knocking him out, tying him up, gagging him, and locking him in a closet.  He still wore his id with his photo on his shirt so he wouldn't look suspicious.  It was hospital policy and Travers didn't look anything like him even at a passing glance.  He just hoped nobody would look close enough to see the level of clearance he had.

He found the isolation ward quickly, having read over the schematics for the building before even consider what he was now doing.  This end of the ward only held one patient so it was easy to find the room he was looking for.  As he opened the door he saw a little boy no older than four sleeping on a hard metal bed, a mop of blonde hair fell down his face.

Gary knelt down beside the bed and shook the boy lightly.  "Rion.  Wake up Rion."

The boy's eyes snapped open and looked at him in fear.  He backed as far away from Gary as he could.

"It's alright.  I'm not going to hurt you."  Gary said as non-threatening and soothing as he could.  "I'm going to take you out of here."

Rion stared at Gary's outstretched hand then shifted his gaze to his face.  For a moment he just stared and to Gary it seemed like he was staring straight into his soul.  Slowly Rion reached out and took the hand.

They didn't make it far before a guard stopped them.  It was one thing for a researcher to be walking around here this late at night, someone was burning the midnight oil almost every night, but one going somewhere carrying the subject in his arms was not going to go unnoticed.

"Where are you going with subject G6?"

"I'm taking him to the testing room."  Gary told the guard simply.  Inwardly he was glad that the boy in his arms was placed in such a way as to hid the clearance portion of his id and leave the photo to be seen.  The guard didn't even consider he didn't have the clearance to be here.

"Oh really?"  Then again.

"I'm doing these test under the direct orders of Dr. Lem.  If you wish you can call him and confirm.  I'm sure the director of the facility would be glad to be called in the middle of the night for such a trivial matter."

When in doubt, use what you know people fear.  And in this place that was Lem.  The people he had fired from this department have been known to disappear.  The look on the guard's face showed he had no desire to risk being next.

"That won't be necessary.  Everything seems to be in order here.  Carry on."

Gary thought he was home free after that.  He wasn't stopped once as he made his way to the elevator with Rion.  Of course good luck tends to run out.  As they reached the elevator the doors opened.  Lem's personal SWAT team poured from inside and trained their weapons on him and the boy.

Gently putting Rion down, Gary stepped in front of him and stared down the heavily armed men as the leader stepped forward and spoke.

"I'll admit it Doc.  I'm impressed a geek like you was able to get this far, but it's over.  Give us the boy"

"Like hell!"  Gary exclaimed.

"For the love of… it couldn't be the easy way!"  The leader said as he roughly shoved Gary aside and grabbed onto Rion.  He didn't think Gary had the balls to come right back at him with all these guns pointing at him.  He was wrong.

The leader lost his grip on Rion and was knocked on his ass clutching his broken nose.  Gary didn't have anytime to celebrate the small victory as one of the guns went off.  He felt the searing pain as the bullet tore through his shoulder and came out the other side, the impact driving him to the ground.

Rion stood there looking down at the man who had tried to rescue him, blood from his wound beginning to puddle on the floor.  He looked up at the group of men who had caused it.  They were the same group he had seen at his home when his parents were killed.

"No rescue for you kid.  You're stuck here for…"  He was cut off as the air around Rion began to crackle with energy and he waved both arms sharply to the sides.  Flames enveloped all of the soldiers and their screams filled the air.  Seconds later they collapsed to the ground dead.

Gary stared up at Rion in amazement and fear.  But when Rion looked at him he looked so vulnerable and afraid that any fear he had of the boy was quickly replaced with worry for his safety.  Parental instincts he didn't know he even had kicking in.

The adrenaline boost from all that was happening lessened the pain slightly.  Very slightly.  But that was moot at the moment, they had to get out of here.  He gritted his teeth and pulled himself up with his good arm.  Taking Rion's hand they entered the elevator.  They made it out of the rest of the building without incident.

---------------0010100---------------

"After that your mother and I contacted a man that could make people disappear so they could make a fresh start somewhere else.  It wasn't legal, but we weren't exactly in a position to be picky.  A friend of ours in the NSA had used him before and we got the name from them.  We never told them why we needed to disappear though.  Lem was very thorough in covering up the escape.  He couldn't have anyone poking around the labs.

"When we came to Middleton we all took on new identities.  They were close to our originals in that we kept the same initials to help us memorize them quicker.  I became Greg Stoppable, your mother Amy, and you Ron."

Ron looked across at his parents astonished.  "You… you gave up everything to save me?"

"Of course we did."  His mother told him as she reached over and took his hand.  "And we don't regret it for a second!"

"I've been having these really strange nightmares lately."  Ron admitted.  "But they aren't nightmares are they?  I remember seeing Dr. Lem kill my birth parents."

His father looked over at him worriedly.  "I had a feeling as much."

"There's more.  I had a dream about a girl named Lilia.  Is she real too?"

"Lilia?"  His father thought for a moment.  "The only Lilia you would have known at that point would have been Lilia Pascalle.  She'd be your age now.  Your fathers were partners and pretty famous in Michelangelo City.  Dr. Steiner and Dr. Pascalle created the computer system that runs the whole city.  Even after all these years the Dorothy system is still state of the art."

"Is she still alive?"  Ron asked, though in his gut he already knew.

"I don't know.  Her family disappeared the day before Dr. Lem got to yours."

"Dr. Lem!"  Ron spat turning away from his parents.  "All of that pain is because of him!  All these thing I'm starting to do are because of him!"

After a moment he collected himself and turned back to his parents with a sigh.  "Why now?  If I've had this power all along, why now?"

It was his mother who answered.  She had been a psychologist in her old life and had a pretty good idea as to why.  "You don't get embarrassed easily.  You never get truly angry.  Did you ever wonder why?  It was your subconscious's way of keeping your power dormant.  It seemed to be caused by emotional outburst.  Something must have happened to break through your barriers."

Realization dawn on Ron as a name crossed his lips.  "Lilia.  She's alive.  If it were just a dream I wouldn't have seen her as she is now, my age.  I would have seen her as my early memories remember her.  Whatever she did to contact me, that could be what did it."

A long silence followed as everyone sat, consumed by their own thoughts.  After several minutes Ron suddenly got up and left the room.  When he came back down he had a duffle bag with him.  Both his parents stood and met him at the door.

"You're going after Dr. Lem."  His father stated simply, having already figured something like this would happen.

Ron just nodded.  "And Lilia.  She asked for my help.  She's scared of something.  If there is anything I can do I have to help her."

"There's nothing I can do to talk you out of this is there?"

"No."

"Alright."  His father said reaching into his pockets.  He pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to Ron.  "Take the car."

"Be careful."  His mother added not bothering to hide the tears in her eyes anymore.  "And come back to us."

"I will.  I promise."

He headed for the door.  As he was about to leave Ron suddenly turned back and enveloped both of his parents in a warm embrace.  "I just want you to know I love you and that no matter who I used to be I am still your son."


	5. Homebound

Galerians: Ron

Homebound

It was noon by the time Ron saw the city of Michelangelo appearing in the distance.  He'd driven for hours after leaving his home, trying to ignore his fatigue.  It won out in the end though and he found himself pulling into a truck stop and curling up in the backseat.  It wasn't comfortable in the least but it would do in a pinch.

Sleep only lasted a few hours before he was woken up by a trucker knocking on the windshield.  The man was just checking to see if he was all right.  Awake and reasonable refreshed, Ron continued on his way.

As he drove he thought over his dreams and what his parents had told him and the implications that lay within.  He didn't know what to think or feel, but confusion seemed to be dominant at the moment.  Ron didn't understand why he was doing what he was doing.  None of it made sense.  He was trying to find a girl calling for him directly into his mind and was going after a man to avenge the parents he had can't really remember.

That was why he didn't tell Kim about this little trip.  Kim may say she can do anything, but she can't.  He knew that when push came to shove she wouldn't kill anyone.  She wouldn't cross that line.  The thing is Ron always knew that it might come to that in the missions they went on.  That was a big part of why he kept going on them despite being the sidekick, the distraction, the one nobody remembers.  He'd cross the line to make sure she came out alive.

But killing a psycho to save someone you care for is one thing, this was something entirely different.  He was considering cold-blooded premeditated murder.  Whether he would go through with it or not was beside the point.  He just didn't want Kim to see him like this.

His mind continued to wander across what he has been force to see as truth as he passed a sign.  Welcome to Michelangelo City.

Had Ron looked in his mirror he would have seen a faint blue light in the shape of a man next to the sign.  As the light faded a shirtless man in overalls stood there.  He was tall and lanky but well muscled.  His eyes were two different colours; one blue and the other brown.  A sinister grin played on his lips.

"Well, well.  I thought I sensed something familiar approaching.  Welcome home Rion."

---------------0010100---------------

As Ron was entering Michelangelo City Kim was walking down the hallways of Middleton High School towards the cafeteria.  She had the vain hope that they would serve something edible today.  Most days it just made her grimace looking at the mush they tried to pass off as a meal.  Then Ron would make her laugh with a stupid joke about it and they would suffer through it in peace.

Ron wasn't here today though.  She was glad really.  He had tried to hide how beat again he was yesterday, but it had still showed.  To her anyways.  Kim didn't say anything to him even though she was worried about him.  It wasn't just the tired thing either.  He just seemed to get more and more out of it during the last month or so.  She kept hoping that he would bounce back from whatever was going on and was glad that he stayed home to take care of himself today.

She couldn't help the grimace as the lunch lady put some… well… something vaguely meat-like on her tray.  The familiar chime of her kimmunicator could be heard as soon as she took her seat across from Monique.

"What's the sitch, Wade?"  She greeted the young genius.

"Drakken and Shego again.  They escaped from custody again and stole a laser from a military research facility near Denver."

"Another laser?  Haven't they learned that the laser thing never works?"  Kim said shaking her head.  "Got a location for me?"

"Tracked them to a lair in a mountain range in British Columbia."

Kim rolled her eyes at the screen.  "Don't tell me he's trying to take over Canada again!"

Wade simply shrugged.  "Don't know.  I do have a ride set up for you though.  I'll call Ron and have him meet you."

"Don't Wade."  She told him giving him a serious look.  "He's been out of it lately and needs the rest.  It"s just a Drakken plan, how much trouble could it really be?"

---------------0010100---------------

"First I will aim the laser at mirrors positioned on the moon.  The beam will then travel back to Earth at any city I choose!  They will have no choice but to name me ruler of Canada!!!"  Drakken exclaimed as he told his so called sidekick his plans.  Shego was sitting in a corner flipping through a magazine doing her best to ignore him.  It didn't work.  Nothing seemed to drown this blowhard out.

"Firstly,"  She said as she put her magazine aside.  "The laser-moon thing was already tried.  Does operation too complicated to actually work ring any bells!"

Seeing the scientist's blank look she continued.  "Secondly you already tried to take over Canada with a weather machine.  Both plans sucked on their own and still suck put together."

"Already tried it huh?  Well if you're so smart then what do you think we should do Shego?  Shego.  Shego!  SHEGO!"  She wasn't paying attention anymore as she stood up with a far off look in her eyes.  After a moment she broke out in a grin and headed for the door.

"I'm leaving."

Drakken followed after her getting more aggravated with each step.  "What do you mean you're leaving?  We have a contract!"

Shego casually flicked her wrist in his direction.  Green flames burst around Drakken and quickly consumed him.  His screams didn't even last a minute before he fell to the ground dead.

"Not anymore."  She told the corpse of her former employer.  "Little brother just came home."


	6. Unleashed

Galerians: Ron

Unleashed

Ron walked the last couple of blocks to his first destination figuring it was better safe than sorry.  He stood outside just looking at the building in front of him, silently preparing himself for what he was about to do.  The building was large, the second largest in the city in fact.  It was only eclipsed by the Mushroom Tower, which held the supercomputer Dorothy that ran the entire city.  The building was Michelangelo Memorial Hospital.

In truth not even half of the actually building was used as a hospital.  The rest of the building was used for medical research of all kinds.  It was among the largest and most technologically advanced research facilities in the world.  The top three floors were the ones dedicated to genetics in his father's time here, now it was the top ten.  The very top floor was still the one where the real actions was though, and that was his ultimate destination.

This was his first stop mainly because it was the only place he knew of to start looking for clues.  He doubted he would find anything directly relating to Lilia, but he may find something that would lead him somewhere that did have something.  There was a second reason too if he was truthful with himself.  A part of him hoped to find Dr. Lem here.  A part of him wanted vengeance.

Ron made his way towards the entrance with a look of grim determination on his face.  To many who knew him it would seem out of place there.  They would expect him to be walking into danger with a grin on his lips and a joke on his tongue.  But he couldn't do that this time.  There was nothing funny about what was happening.

---------------0010100---------------

Kim silently made her way through Drakken's mountain lair.  She kept a wary eye out, looking for anything that may be a threat.  It just seemed too easy so far.  The place was empty.  No drones, no goons, and no Shego or Drakken so far.  Infiltrating Drakken's bases had never been a difficult feat, but this was ridiculous.

She had done a lot of things during missions before, but when she walked into the main room and found the charred and still smoking corpse she did a first.  She threw up.

Recomposing herself, she quickly scanned the room for any sign of the murderer.  Finding none she ran out into the hall with a hand covering her mouth and nose trying to keep out the smell of burned flesh.

Pulling out her kimmunicator she called Wade.  "Something happened before I got here.  Someone… well… see for yourself."

With that Kim stood in the doorway so the kimmunicator camera could see.  Wade gasped and he just barely managed to stop himself from doing a repeat performance of Kim at the sight.  "My God!  I'll… ah… run a scan."

A minute passed in uneasy silence as the scan ran before Wade's face appeared back on the small screen.  "According to the computer extrapolation that's Drakken!  Or what's left of him."

"Any idea who did this?"  Kim asked as she made her way out of the lair.  She didn't want to be there any longer than she had too.

"No."  Wade said.  "But I found eyewitness accounts of Shego's jet heading States bound."

"Alright Wade, track her and get me a ride to wherever she's going."

"You got it Kim.  I'll call Ron and get him to meet you."

"Wade!"  Kim said her voice holding a little annoyance.  "He still needs his rest.  I can handle it."

"You don't exactly come across many corpses on your missions Kim!"  Wade chided, surprising her by actually looking angry with her for suggesting going it alone.  "Something is different this time.  Either I call in Ron or you walk to the mission!"

---------------0010100---------------

He had made his way up to the genetics area of the building fairly quickly, but had to slow and move more stealthily once there.  The majority of the building's security was focused on those levels.  The elevators up there were even on a separate system so he had to start taking the stairs.

Ron was five stories from his destination now, hiding behind a pillar as a group of guards were talking nearby.  He waited patiently for their backs to be turned to him.  Finally the opportunity came and he made his way to the door across the way quietly.  He was silently giving himself props for doing so well when it happened.

At the worst possible moment four familiar chimes rang out through the air from the communicator Wade had given him for his birthday only two months prior.  By give he means Wade flew it threw his bedroom window scaring the living hell out of him in the process.

He barely had time to register the guards turning as the darts from their weapons hit him.  As the chemicals took effect and he fell to the ground, Ron could be heard muttering.  "Figures."

---------------0010100---------------

"That's odd."  Wade said to Kim with a slightly worried expression.  "It's not like Ron not to answer his communicator.  There's no answer at his house either."

"What about the microchip?"  Kim asked as she began to worry herself.

"Nothing."

Glancing back towards the base a scary thought entered Kim's mind.  What if whoever did this went after Ron next?  "Wade, maybe you should get me a ride back to Middleton."

"My thoughts exactly."

---------------0010100---------------

Ron awoke only to experience a blinding pain in his head worse than anything he had ever felt.  He could feel needles injecting him with something but didn't know what and at this point didn't care.  The pain was too great for him to focus on anything else.  It was all consuming.  At this moment his whole life was the pain.

_Help me Rion!_

He heard Lilia's voice ring out in his mind.  It broke through to him, past the pain and he tried to grab hold.  Then he heard another voice.  One he recognized all too well.

_Be all right.  Please God let him be all right!_

"Kim."  He mumbled.  She was worried about something.  Scared even.  He could feel something in the back of his mind coming to the forefront.  Like a wall had finally crumbled and something long hidden had finally been released.

"KIM!"  He screamed.  The air around him crackled with energy and his eyes rolled back until only the whites showed.  Suddenly the heavy metal restraints holding him down to the table burst off him in shattered fragments.  The equipment that surrounded him began to explode.

The pain finally subsided and tried to Ron stand up.  He lost his balance and used the table for support as he brought his hand to his head.  As he regained his footing Ron vaguely noticed he was wearing a hospital gown.  His eyes survey the destruction he had caused before settling on the whimpering form of a researcher standing a few feet in front of him.

"What did you do to me?"  Ron asked in a quiet voice.  When he got no answer he shot his hand towards the man and yelled.  "What did you do to me!?!"

The air around Ron's hand rippled and shot out towards the man.  The impact knocked him through the door and out into the hall.  Ron wasn't sure who was more scared at what he had just done, him or the researcher.  Probably him since the researcher was unconscious.

As he entered the hallway Ron noticed a group of a dozen or so guards coming towards him.  All armed with automatic rifles.

"They need me!"  Ron said as he approached the guards using the wall for support.  "They need me!  I won't let you stop me from helping them!"

With that he threw both arms out in an arc causing flames to shoot towards the guards.  He didn't hit any of them though.  That wasn't his intent.  The flames consumed the weapons, superheating them and forcing the guards to drop them.  He managed control the flame enough not to set off the ammo, even if it was just on a subconscious level.

Using his power Ron threw the guards around the small hall until they were all battered into unconsciousness.  As the last guard fell a dozen more rounded the corner.  This time they were accompanied by three eight foot tall robotic attack drones.  All began to fire their weapons, rifles shots from the guards and laser fire from the drones.

On instinct Ron put his hands covering his face as the onslaught of arsenal came at him.  The onslaught met with unexpected resistance though as it was stopped three feet from its target where it met a crackling blue energy barrier.  But even that couldn't stand up to force forever and it seemed like the guards were slowly beginning to break through.

Then something happened.  Ron screamed in pain as he was engulfed by a blue and white energy.  The energy shot out, tearing into the walls, floor and ceiling.  Any guard unfortunate enough to be too close suddenly felt a great pain in their minds.  It didn't last longer that a couple of seconds before their heads exploded.  Ron had lost complete control of his power.

"My God!"  A voice exclaimed over the radio.  "He's short circuiting.  Switch to the Delmeter!"

The guards quickly switched to weapons that fired needles filled with a strange blue liquid and fired at the approaching teen.  They did manage to hit him with one of the needles, but by the time it took effect it was too late and all the guards were dead and the drones destroyed.

Ron slowly began to look around as the pain in his head went away and he regained control of his power.  It was all he could do not to retch at the destruction before him.  The massacre.

Almost on automatic he approached a group of bodies that were lucky enough to have their heads still intact.  In one quick motion he removed all of the masks.  He gasped in confusion at what he saw.  They all looked the same.  All were bald with the same impossibly sharp features.

As he stared dumbly something else took his attention.  A vial with a needle on the end was next to one of the guards, having fallen from his weapon during the psychic assault.  He picked it up and examined it.  So this was what had given him back control?

Setting it to the side Ron look at a body that managed to come out without any blood on it.  As much as in pained him and grossed him out Ron stripped the body.  Tossing the button up shirt and body armour aside, he put on the black boots, green pants and black t-shirt.  He'd feel guilty for all this later, but he still had to escape yet and that would be easier if he wasn't wearing a hospital gown.

As he finished dressing all the doors in the hallway closed and seal shut.  One opened back up.  "I guess I go that way."

It was obvious he was being led somewhere.  Whenever he got to a new area all the doors except one would seal, leaving only one path to follow.  It didn't matter to Ron right now though.  Let them think they were in control

Eventually he ended up in a large room with only one thing in it.  A large computer system stood in the centre of the room going from floor to ceiling.  At least that's what it looked like at first glance, but there was no keyboard or screen.  Deciding to take a closer look, Ron didn't notice that he stepped in a circle on the floor when he approached.  The circle lit up and a female computerized voice sounded through the room.

"Please state your name."

"… Ron Stoppable..."  He said hesitantly.

"Unknown user.  Access denied.  Please state your name."

Ron thought for a moment before remembering what his parents had told him.  It was worth a try.  "Rion Steiner."

"User name accepted.  The family program is top secret.  Please enter you password."

"Screw this."  Ron said as he raised his hand towards the computer sending out an energy pulse.

"Access denied.  Access denied.  Access denied.  Access denied.  Access granted."

The room faded around him only to be replaced by stark whiteness.  Beside him a holographic image of himself appeared.  Words began to appear in thin air stating his name, age and other statistics.  Apparently they didn't know he went by Ron Stoppable now.

After a moment a heading labelled former residence appeared.  Ron brought his hand up and touched the words.  He memorized the address that materialized before the whiteness surrounding him faded.  He found himself standing before a large two-story home in a forested area.  The house was so large you could nearly call it a mansion, but not quite.  The home that was taken away from him.

As he stared in awe he felt a pressure against the back of his neck as an injection gun was place against it.  He looked over his shoulder to see a face from his nightmares.  Dr. Lem was standing behind him looking just as he had all those years ago.

"Rion, this drug will cause your brain to short circuit."  Lem told him calmly.  "You will lose control of your powers and as they spiral out of control they will kill you.  You don't what to die do you?  Go back to the isolation ward!"

"I don't think so."  Ron said as he narrowed his eyes at the man who murdered his birth parents.  The injection gun was forced from Ron's neck by an unseen force along with Lem's arm as he struggled to keep hold of it.  He lost that fight as his fingers let go one by one before his arm was finally just bent to an unnatural angle and the gun went clattering across the floor.

"Such power!  More than I ever thought!  But still not good enough!"  Lem exclaimed in awe as he turned and backhanded Ron with his good arm sending him sailing across the room.

He landed unceremoniously by slamming against the wall.  Pushing himself to a sitting position Ron saw Lem approaching him with calm measured steps.  With a wave of his arm Ron called forth his flame and consumed Lem.

The doctor flailed about screaming.  Or that's what Ron thought at first.  After a moment he realized what was going one.  He was laughing.  As the flames died down, there standing before Ron was a robotic skeleton that looked like it was straight from a science fiction movie.

"You fool!"  It said in a voice much more digitized than before.  "I am my God's instrument in this place!  You cannot stop one who has been touched by God!"

Before Ron could react Lem had him dangling in the air by his throat.  "I don't know why she needed you!  You're nothing!  And now you die like the parasite you are!"

A battle of wills raged as the robotic Lem tried to crush Ron's throat while Ron used his power to try and keep that from happening.  He stuck out his hand behind Lem and with his fading strength called out.  The injection gun sailed through the air into Ron's outstretched hand and in one swift motion injected himself with the drug.

The air around him began to shimmer with blue and white energy as Ron short-circuited.  Had it been able to change expression, the robotic skull of Dr. Lem would have shown shock.  "You fool!  Now we'll both be destroyed!"

"So be it!"  Ron said as more power was released and Lem was blown apart.

Ron fell to the floor screaming in pain.  Blood poured from his nose, ears and eyes as the psychic pressure built.  Through the pain he was able to reach into his pocket and pull out a vial of blue liquid.  With a shaking hand he was able to bring it up to his neck and inject himself with the Delmeter.

Slowly the pain and destructive power subsided and Ron stood shakily.  Wiping the blood from his face he looked at the scattered robotic remains of Lem.  "For you mom and dad.  For you."

Without looking back he went through the door at the far side of the room.  It led into the large office of Dr. Lem.  Not wanting to take too much time he quickly searched the office.  He grabbed the laptop computer from the desk and shoved it into the bag he found.  The other side of the room housed Lem's private lab.  Another quick searched and Ron found a cabinet full of various drugs.  Among them was a healthy supply of Delmeter.  Figuring it was better safe than sorry he stuffed them all in his bag.  After debating for a minute he grabbed a bunch of the other drugs too.  He didn't know what they did or think he would need them, but after the short circuit incident in the hall he wasn't taking any chances.

Finally done, Ron went to a corner of the office that housed Dr. Lem's private elevator.  It took him directly to the parking garage and Ron left the building as quickly as his legs could carry him.


	7. Of Man, Machine and God

Galerians: Ron

Of Man, Machine and God

Kim ran ignoring the burning in her lungs.  As soon as her ride had landed at Middleton Airport she had taken off full tilt towards Ron's place.  The only thing that kept her from avoiding people in the highly crowded airport was the reflexes she had trained long and hard for.

Cars honked their horns as she crossed streets, never bothering to wait at the crosswalks.  She had nearly been hit eight times and caused one minor fender bender by the time she reached Ron's.

She rang the doorbell with vigour.  After a good five minutes of ringing and banging the door Kim finally stopped.  His parents weren't here.  She could accept that.  They did seem to travel a lot.  But Ron wasn't the type to leave without telling anyone.  Especially her.

Not giving up she went around back to the tree outside Ron's window.  They both had used it a great deal as kids to sneak in and out of his room.  Now she was just using it to see if he was there.  It wasn't uncommon for him to just not bother answering the door, no matter how persistent the person outside.

Climbing up to his room her hopes were crushed to find him nowhere in sight.  She had no reason to believe that whoever killed Drakken would go after Ron, but it didn't ease her worries.  It was just her gut.  Something didn't feel right, like something big was going on.  A missing Ron only escalated her worry.

"Where are you Ron?"

---------------0010100---------------

Ron pulled up to the large house secluded in the forest sector of Michelangelo City.  It was run down, having been abandoned years ago, but no so much that it wasn't safe to enter.  Not that it would have stopped Ron at this point.  This was his old home, there had to be some answers here.  Right?

As he got out of the car he opted to leave the duffel behind, having pocketed a few Delmeter just in case.  For the most part the other contents were useless to him anyways.  He had only been able to understand a little bit of what was on the laptop, much of the scientific terminology went straight over his head.  He had decided to give it to Wade later though, he'd probably have a field day with it.

The part he was able to understand was what it said about the other drugs he had… acquired.  The green was called Nalcon and the red… well Red.  Both of which were pretty much useless to him since he had already been injected with them during his first stay at Michelangelo Memorial.  They had permanently altered his system to allow for certain powers to develop.  The Nalcon created a telekinetic force blast, like the one he used on that scientist when he woke up in the lab, and Red for the fire.

What was a mystery though was the lone yellow vial he had found amongst his goods.  All he could get from the laptop was that the drug was currently untested.  He wasn't about to change that.

Ron entered the building slowly with some trepidation.  The building that in another life he would still have called home.  As he entered the main foyer he realized he wouldn't have to wait long for his fears to be justified.

The room started out looking empty and rundown.  After a moment Ron felt a dull throbbing in his head and the room changed.  It was no longer rundown but just as clean and awe inspiring as it had been in his early childhood.  No longer was it empty either.  He could only stare in horror as it was occupied by armed men and Dr. Lem himself.

Lem had his father by the throat as a gunshot rang out and his mother crumbled to the floor.  Ron screamed even as his younger self gasped from upstairs.  Lem crushed his father's throat and went after the boy.

It was his nightmare replaying all over again.  Only this time he saw something he had missed.  His mother hadn't died right away from the gunshot.  Unseen by anyone she slipped a ring off her finger and slipped it under a loose tile on the floor.

Just as fast as it had happened the room changed back to as it was before.  Ron sank to his knees as tears slipped down his face.  Twice now he had been forced to relive this moment, and it was no easier the second time.  Wiping the tears away he stood slowly.  He knew this place might dredge up memories and emotions.  But he also knew he couldn't afford to let them slow him down too much.

He walked over to the spot his mother had died, determined to fight back the tears.  Moving the loose tile he saw the ring still there.  A little worse for wear, but still there.  He looked at it for a moment as emotions swam through him.  Taking off the silver chain Kim had given him for his birthday he slipped it through the ring and hung it around his neck.

With a look of determination he went to explore the house.  As he went room to room Ron had more visions of the past.  Most were only of day to day things, but some all were important in their own way.  Even if he couldn't always figure it out.  It was like the memories, moments in time, were locked within the walls of the house waiting for the right person to come and unlock them.  And with his power and connection he was just the person to do it.

It was when he entered his old bedroom that another vision really peaked his interest.  He expected it to be when Lem came after him, which why he was especially scared to enter.  Ron was wrong though.

The vision showed his younger self laying in bed with a large bandage covering his head.  His skin was covered in sweat, soaking straight through his pj's.  His mother sat beside him wiping his face with a damp cloth.

"His fever isn't breaking."  She said, the worry clearly evident in her tone.

His father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "It will break by morning."

"We never should have done this!"  She exclaimed looking up at her husband.  "He'll never have a future!"

"I had nowhere else to hide it.  If this doesn't work he won't have a future, no one will."

She seemed to ignore him as she grabbed her son's hand.  "We shouldn't have done this Rion!  Please forgive us!"

With that the vision ended leaving a thoroughly confused Ron in an empty room.  Shaking it off he figured he wouldn't find answers just standing around here all day.  Having checked all the upstairs he returned to the main floor.  Eventually he made his way to his father's office.

At first glance he didn't see anything of importance, not even a vision.  It was when he was about to leave that he saw the strange indention on the plaque attached to the far wall.  Walking over he pulled out the ring he picked up earlier.  Sure enough they matched.  Placing the ring in the indention he turned it like a key.  The wall slide away to reveal a small room.

Inside looked like it was used as a lab at some point and was lined wall to wall with computer banks.  At the back was a small wooden table.  On it was a set of speakers and a console with a single button.  As Ron pushed the button his birth father's voice rang through the room.

"Rion, my son.  I pray that by now you already know what is on this tape.  That I have told you myself and we have succeeded in our goal.  Realistically I don't think that is likely the case.  Most likely I am dead.  I can only hope that by recording this message you will find it and let it guide you.

"You see Rion, my partner Dr. Pascalle and I develop a state of the art computer and AI system called Dorothy.  It was a mother computer with revolutionary capabilities for self judgment and self replication.  Dorothy learned and grew until it achieved sentience.  Soon it began to develop its capabilities even further and quickly became the mother computer of all Michelangelo City.

"But a fundamental doubt crept into Dorothy's mind.  'Why is it wrong to destroy humans and other inferior systems? Why, if humans kill each other, is it wrong for me to kill them?'  She asked.

"So I taught her of the existence of God.  I told her that each human has a fate and destiny that is decided by God who created humankind.  That we can't go against that fate.  I told her that humans are her creators and that she must live as they decide.

"It seemed she understood and accepted this explanation and returned to her work.  I was a fool.  I should have known that it wouldn't be that simple.  Dorothy didn't accept anything.  Instead she ran simulations on the existence of God.  Her conclusions birthed the Family Program.

"She began to use her full control of Michelangelo Memorial to experiment with human genes.  Her first creations were the R series.  Rabbits we have come to call them since they can practically come off an assembly line.  At first they were just identical mindless drones with peak him physical condition.  Now she is developing them further, new kinds with different capabilities, although I am unsure exactly what.

"These were just a stepping stone however.  Dorothy's real pride was in the G series, a breed with powerful psychic abilities.  Unlike the R series they are not mindless drones.  That and their power make them far more dangerous.  Galerians they are called.  A race for which Dorothy would replace humanity and be their sole creator and God.

"Dorothy had begun to see herself as a deity and the Family Program was her means of attaining Godhood.  Dr. Pascalle and I discovered what she was doing and began to work in secret.  We created a virus program to destroy her.  No matter how much Dorothy upgraded herself there were still some core components that could not be changed or removed.  Unfortunately we had no way of getting to Dorothy to implement the virus.  We needed to hide it as she began to grow suspicious.

"So Dr. Pascalle and I did the unthinkable.  We hide the program in the one place we didn't think Dorothy would look.  The virus program was placed in the mind of Dr. Pascalle's daughter, Lilia.  There was a launch program needed for the virus to work.  That we placed in your mind Rion.

"Dr. Pascalle has already taken Lilia somewhere safe until we can figure out a plan to get past the Mushroom Tower security and to Dorothy.  Tomorrow your mother and I are taking you away as well.  If something goes wrong we pray that we are able to at least get you out of here.  That we manage to get you safely to a good home before we die.  You need to live Rion!  You need to grow.  You are humankinds last hope for survival and for this I am eternally sorry my son.

"Always remember that we love you Rion.  Be safe and good luck."

For the second time that day Ron sank to his knees.  He tried to take in all he was told.  He thought of the part were his parents wanted him to be safe and have a good home.  They loved him, they really loved him.

"I had a good home Dad."  He whispered.  "Even if you weren't the one to deliver me there, I had a good home."

---------------0010100---------------

Kim got home to find her mother in the kitchen finishing up on tonight's dinner.  How she managed to do it every night with her schedule Kim would never understand.

"Hi Kimmie."  She greeted cheerily but quickly grew serious as she saw the look on Kim's face.  "What's wrong honey?"

"Nothing."  Kim tried to brush it off.  Her mother gave her that look parents have that just screams 'do you really expect me to buy that?'  "It's Ron."

"What about him?"

Kim sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table.  "He wasn't in school today and he wasn't at home.  I can't find him anywhere.  I can't even reach him on his communicator.  I'm worried.  I have a bad feeling."

"Kim."  Her mother said reassuringly as she sat down beside her.  "This is Ron we're talking about.  He always did march to the beat of a different drum.  I'm sure he's fine.  He can take care of himself you know."

Before Kim could respond the tweebs came into the room.

"Are you guys talking about Ron?"  Jim asked.

"Because he was here last night."  Tim finished.

"What!?"  Kim exclaimed.  "When, why?"

"He said he was going out of town for a couple days."

"He said he couldn't take Rufus with him."

"So he asked if we could watch him."

At the mention of his name the naked mole rat in question poked his head out of Tim's pocket.  He squeaked something that sounded an awful lot like 'No more rockets.  Please no more rockets'.

Kim and her mother shared a look.  Something really was wrong.  Ron never went anywhere without Rufus.  And he certainly wouldn't leave town without telling Kim.

---------------0010100---------------

Ron finished searching the inside and went out the back door to see if there were any clues outside.  While the interior of the house had yielded information that he needed, it didn't give him any clues as to Lilia's whereabouts.

The garage only had an old car in it that had probably been a classic at one point, not that it was identifiable anymore.  It had been stripped clean over the years.  Probably kids selling the parts.

On the other side of the yard was an old shed.  Not much was left inside but off in the back was a box of old toys.  Ron was drawn to one in particular.  An old ragged doll.  Somehow he just knew that it belonged to Lilia.  As he held the doll he hear Lilia's call again.

_Help me Rion!_

This time something was different though.  This time he was able to call back.

"Lilia!"

_Who is that?  Is it really you Rion?_

"Ya, it's me.  Where are you Lilia?  Are you safe?"

_I'm hiding at the Babylon Hotel.  I don't know how much longer it will be safe here!_

"Alright, I'm coming to get you!  Just hold on!"  Ron told her as he ran out of the shed.  He stopped dead as he head laughter behind him.  Turning around he saw a shirtless man in overalls sitting on the shed roof.  He had one blue eye and one brown eye.  A sinister grin played on his lips as his long dark hair blew in the wind.

"Haha!  Mother was right.  Then again she's always right."  The mystery man said more to himself that Ron.  "Follow Rion and he will lead you to Lilia."

"Who are you?!"

The man laughed as he stood.  "My name is Birdman.  Now tell me where Lilia is.  I know you've had contact with her!"

"Like hell!"  Ron spat.

The sinister grin on the man's face grew deeper.  "I was hoping you would say that."

Ron could only watch in shock as Birdman faded from view only to reappear on the ground in front of him.  As soon as he appeared he shot his hand out towards Ron.  The short distance between them rippled as a psychic force shot out and struck Ron knocking him back a good twenty feet.

He could only look at his attacker in shock as he pulled himself to his feet.  "What are you!?!"

Birdman let loose an insane, mightier than thou laugh.  "Didn't your dear old dad just tell you?  I'm a Galerian!  Want to reconsider?"

"Not a chance!"  Ron yelled as he sent a blast of psychic energy at him.  Birdman quickly flew up into the air and hovered there as the blast sailed below him.  It struck the shed completely obliterating it in a shower of wood and dust.

Birdman disappeared again, but Ron was ready this time.  As soon as he began to materialize Ron struck out.  The force of the blow sent Birdman flying back straight through a wall of the house.  He landed unceremoniously in the dining room.

He was laughing as he shakily stood up.  "I've never had this much fun!"

Again he appeared before Ron, dodging his predictable attack.

"You don't get it!"  He said as a copy of himself split from him.

"You're no match for me!"  The copy told him as he too split another copy.

"There is no way for you to win!"  The final copy finished as they began to surround him.

Ron desperately tried to strike out at one of the Birdmen only to be blasted in the side by another.  He felt like a pinball as he was being bounce around from blast to blast.  Finally he was able to turn with one of the blasts and ended up facing the original Birdman.  In an instant he released as much power as he could muster.  Birdman was knocked onto his back.  As he slid across the yard the copies merged back into him.

"Enough!"  Birdman yelled as he shot up into the air.  His eyes began to glow white with power as the air around him crackled with blue energy.  "I tried to be nice about this but you had to be a pain in the ass!"

Thrusting his hand towards the ground he sent out a telekinetic shockwave.  It hit Ron head on and drove him to his knees as it created a small crater around him.  Wave after wave was sent, constantly driving Ron back to his knees.  The crater grew bigger with each attack.

On shaky knees Ron looked up to the sky and concentrated on creating a barrier between himself and the assault.  The air turned blue where the energy met energy and Ron struggle to bring himself to his feet.  Birdman flew towards him only stopping a few feet away as his energy collided with Ron's.  Both combatants screamed in rage and pain as they released the totality of their power.  The energy surrounding them grew brighter and brighter, filling the darkening sky like a second sun.  Soon it was so blinding that neither man could be seen through its intensity.

Then the light was gone in an instant as Ron collapsed onto the ground and Birdman was thrown back through the air.  As he neared the house the psychic force collided with the building causing it to explode from the sheer power.  The shockwave from the explosion hit Birdman and sent him back the way he came where he landed with a sickening thud.

Slowly Ron stood, his face covered in blood from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.  He made his way over to the fallen Birdman and stood before him.

"Am… I… dying?"  The prone Birdman struggled to say.

"Yah, I think so."

Birdman chuckled slightly causing some blood to be spit from his mouth.  "… be careful Rion..."

"Of what?"

"Of… yourself…."  With one last chuckle the Galerian known as Birdman died.

---------------0010100---------------

Kim was checking Buenos Nachos again in her continued search for Ron when her Kimmunicator went off.  She answered it quickly praying that Wade had found something.

"Anything on Ron, Wade?"

"Not yet."  The young genius told her sadly.  "But Shego has been spotted in Michelangelo City.  I can get someone else if…"

"No."  Kim said cutting him off.  "I'll go.  I need… I need to do something at least."


	8. Showdown at the Babylon hotel

Galerians: Ron

Showdown at the Babylon hotel.

It was late but the National Security Agency operations building at Fort Meade just outside Washington was bustling with activity.  A man and a woman waited nervously in the lobby.  The man enough so that it was all he could do not to pace.

After what seemed like an eternity a grey haired man in a dark suit headed towards them from the secure area.  The suit did nothing to hide his strong build that, accompanied with his usual stern expression, would make many people uneasy.  His expression now, however, wasn't stern at all.  He wore a rare smile as he greeted his old friends.

"I almost didn't believe it when I was told there was a Gary and Anna Stevens waiting for me.  How've you been?"

"Oh we've had better days Sam."  Anna told him as Sam kissed her cheek and shook Gary's hand.  "But you seem to be doing well Mr. Deputy Director."

"I am doing well thanks."  He told them with a smile before his face turned serious.  "But enough of that.  I thought you two were gone for good?  Disappeared and got a whole new identity to look after that kid."

Ron's adoptive parents sighed in unison before Gary spoke.  "Whatever happens, after today we won't need to hide anymore."

Seeing the expressions on their faces Sam Harrison began to lead his old friends to his office where they could have some privacy.  "Why don't you tell me what's going on."

"We can only tell you what we know."

---------------0010100---------------

Ron walked into the lobby with a look of distaste.  No wonder Lilia had been able to hid here.  The Babylon Hotel wasn't a hotel anymore.  It was completely deserted and had been for some time now.  The floor looked like one wrong step and you'd be heading to the floor below the hard way.

He stopped in the centre of the lobby and closed his eyes as he concentrated as hard as he could.  Ever since he spoke telepathically with Lilia she had kept light contact with his mind.  On the way over it had suddenly stopped and that worried him.  Sighing he shook his head and opened his eyes.  Looks like he was going to have to look for her the old fashioned way.

As he made his way up the rather hazardous staircase to start his search at the top floor another group entered the building.  There were four men with black trench coats and hats that look identical to the guards from the hospital.  They were led by a tall woman with Asian features and hair dyed a bright red.  She wore a white tank top and short leather skirt that had straps going up and around her shoulders.

"Lilia is here somewhere."  She said to the men in black.  "Find her."

They moved out immediately having been given their task.  They all moved with the same blank expression on their faces.

"Rainheart."  The woman said to the empty lobby.  In front of her a rather fat kid in an orange vest rose from the floor.  He had a childlike smile on his lips but an insane gleam in his eyes.  "You can go and play with Rion now."

The boy smiled broadly as he hovered further upwards until he went through to the floor above.

---------------0010100---------------

Mr. Possible let out a small smile of contentment as he settled into the couch with his newspaper in hand.  The boys were out with their mother for the afternoon, Kim was off saving the world again, but more importantly he had the whole house to himself.  Despite how much he worried about Kim's missions he was still glad for his brief and rare moment of silent bliss.

So of course as soon as he really started to get involved in his newspaper that bliss was going to be shattered.

"Ah, Mr. Possible Sir?"

Slowly lowering his newspaper he saw that their large plasma screen television was on and filled with the face of a kid.  He didn't remember turning it on and he could have sworn that it just spoke to him.

"Mr. Possible."  The kid said again.

He just shrugged it off and answered, used to weird stuff happening around his family.  "Yes?"

"I'm Wade.  Kim's friend."

"Ah yes."  He said as recognition finally dawned on him.  "You know this wasn't what I had in mind when I bought the satellite dish.  How can you hear me through the tv anyway?"

Wade's eyes shifted nervously for a minute.  He had 'modified' the Possible's new television before it was delivered so it would be capable of the occasional videoconference.  He wasn't sure telling Mr. Possible that he intercepted his order would be a good idea however.

"That's not important.  Have you seen the news yet?"

Grabbing the remote Mr. Possible flipped the tv over to the news.  He listened intently to the newscaster as the disturbing images filed through the screen.  There were images of large groups identical soldiers gunning people down in the street.  Other images showed people who looked identical to the first group on with wicked looking claws for hands dismembering their victims or those wearing black trenches simple waving their hands and tossing people and objects aside with an unseen force.  There were even robot drones causing their own share of the devastation.

{We repeat for those of you just tuning in.  Dorothy, the supercomputer of Michelangelo City has gone completely out of control!  It has openly declared war with the human race and has wrestled complete control of the city.  All communication in and out of the city has been severed.  The images you see on your screen are those being broadcast by Dorothy itself as it has taken over the communications network.}

The newscaster went on as Mr. Possible slowly came out of his trance and spoke.  "Wade, wasn't Kim heading for Michelangelo City?"

"Yes."  Wade's voice came clearly from the speakers over the broadcast.  "I lost contact with her half an hour ago."

---------------0010100---------------

The former Stoppable's sat in Sam Harrison's office looking exhausted.  They had just finished their tale and a silence fell over the room as Sam took everything in.  The silence was broken as an agent knocked on his door.  At Sam's call he opened the door.  "You're needed in Sat. Ops. Sir."

"Any particular reason?"  Sam asked a little annoyed to be interrupted in his meeting.

"Have you seen the news yet?  Maybe you should see for yourself."  With that said the agent turned on the small tv that sat in the office.  Everyone looked disturbed at what they saw.

"I take it this is one of the parts you didn't know about?"  Sam said offhandedly.

---------------0010100---------------

Ron walked down the hall with worry etched on his face.  He had already checked three floors and still no Lilia.  The building was only five stories to begin with.  The only sound in the hall was his own footsteps.  Actually the sounds he made as he searched were the only ones he heard period so far.  That change as laugh from behind him nearly made him jump out of his skin.

Quickly turning he saw someone rising from the floor.  It was a rather heavy looking kid that looked to be only a couple years younger than him.  The brown haired kid wore an orange vest and black shorts.

As he looked at the kid he felt an intense pain in his head as images flashed through his mind.  Ron saw the kid in a warehouse with a tall girl and a group of black clad men.  Before them stood a terrified, yet defiant Dr. Pascalle.

"I'll never tell you were Lilia is!"  Pascalle screamed.

The woman gave him a lopsided grin.  "You don't have to.  Rainheart! You can play now."

The kid stepped forwards.  His childlike features were betrayed by a gaze so intense his eyes began to glow.  Dr. Pascalle began to scream as a strong force entered his mind.  After several long minutes of agony he just couldn't take it anymore and his head exploded under the pressure.

As the body fell the woman came to stand beside Rainheart.  "Did you find out where she is?"

He looked down like a child who knew he was about to get scolded and shook his head.  The woman put an affectionate arm around him.  "It's alright little brother.  We still have Rion after all."

When the vision subsided Ron could only glare at the boy in front of him.  "You killed Dr. Pascalle!"

"We played!"  Rainheart said cheerily.  "Now we get to play!"

Before Ron could register what was happening the entire hall burst into flames.  They spread to everything and anything, including him.  The flames started at his feet as he frantically tried to use his powers to put them out or at least contain them.  They climbed higher up his body as the heat from the flames began to intensify to a point where every nerve in his body seemed to be registering the pain.  Soon his entire body was engulfed and the halls filled with his pained cries.

The four black trenched men entered the hall seemingly unaffected by the fire or heat.  They approached Ron with purpose, despite their orders to find Lilia they had standing orders to kill him on sight.  As one they raised their hands and shot a telekinetic blast at him.  The force knocked him down the hall right past Rainheart.

Rainheart for his part was mad.  He stomped his foot on the ground like a child taking a temper tantrum.  "No!  Leave us alone!  We're playing!"

With that he thrust out his arms and unleashed an amazing force of psychic energy that picked up all four and threw them down the hall back the way they had come.  They didn't stop when they hit the wall though.  They went straight through and down to the streets below.  Those fortunate enough to have survived crashing into the wall didn't survive the fall.

Ron slowly picked himself up from the floor.  The flames still engulfed him but he no longer felt any pain.  He realized what was going on now.  The R series that attacked him had helped him to do that.  The fire wasn't real, only a trick of the mind.  They say your mind is a powerful thing, well apparently with the right manipulation it can even kill you.

"You want to know the difference between your flame and mine?"  Ron asked as Rainheart turned back to face him.  "Mine's real!"

With a swipe of his arm he put as much power as he could behind his pyrokinetics and unleashed a devastating flame.  It engulfed Rainheart and the boy screamed in agony.  The screams stopped moments later as the he fell to the ground charred black.

As Ron approached he saw that there was still a small spark of life in the boy.  But something was different.  All the malice was gone from his eyes only to be replaced by a pained innocence.

"I didn't hurt anyone.  A monster did it."  Rainheart pleaded weakly.  "They gave me drugs and a monster came out."

Suddenly Ron wasn't in the hotel anymore.  He was in a place of nothingness.  White all around him.  No sky, no ground, just white.  He saw Rainheart a short distance away on his knees crying.  A man stood before him, an injection gun in his hand.

"It's three o'clock."  Lem said calmly.  "It's time for your medicine."

Rainheart shook his head and continued to sob.  "No!  The medicine makes the monster come!  He scares me!  He says he's going to eat me!"

Lem's voice held no emotion.  "Mother wants you to take your medicine.  She wants to make you strong.  You don't want to disappoint your mother do you?"

The two vanished to be replaced by the burnt and dying Rainheart laying on the ground.  As Ron knelt he took the boy's hand.

"Don't tell mother I failed."  He pleaded.  "She would be angry.  Don't tell mother."

"I won't tell mother."  Ron assured him as Rainheart faded.  As he died tears slid down Ron's cheeks.  He may have been a Galerain, but he was a victim too.

_Rion!?_

Ron's head shot up at Lilia's mental call.  "Lilia, I'm at the hotel.  Where are you?"

_The hotel's restaurant in the basement._

"I'm on my way."

He stood and wiped the tears from his eyes.  There was no time for this.  With one last look at the body he turned down the hall heading for the stairwell.  His face was set.  He was determined to end this for both humans and Galerians.

---------------0010100---------------

As Ron entered the basement he immediately saw Lilia.  She laid motionless on a couch towards the back.  Without missing a beat he was running to her, dodging tables and chairs in his rush.  As he reached Lilia her eyes fluttered open.  She looked the same as in his dream.  The same light brown, almost reddish, hair and brown eyes.  Even the same white sweater and black pants.

"Are you alright?"  He asked as he helped her into a sitting position.

"Telepathy is the joining of two minds."  She explained as she leaned against him as he sat beside her.  "We were still connected when you fought Birdman.  What you felt I felt."

Ron winced as he thought of that.  He had taken one hell of a beating before the fight had ended.  His power had only just barely come out on top.

 "I held on for as long as I could, but I blacked out while you were on your way here."

He was about to respond when he heard footsteps echoing through the large room.  Looking up, Ron saw the woman from his vision earlier coming towards them.  Her bright red hair seemed to reflect all the light in the dimly lit room.

"Who are you?"  Ron asked as he stood up and got between her and Lilia.

"My name is Rita.  It was nice of you to lead us to the girl by the way Rion.  Mother seems quite worried about her."  She said as she continued her even stride across the room.

"I don't want to fight you, but I won't just hand over Lilia either!  Can't you just leave us alone?"

"I'll deal with Lilia soon enough."  Rita stopped about ten feet from the pair and levelled her gaze at them.  "Rainheart was often lazy and whiny, but he had this childlike naivety to him.  He was the most innocent of us.  He was my brother and you'll pay for what you have done!"

Both Ron and Rita reacted at the same time.  He grabbed Lilia and dove to the side just as Rita unleashed an energy wave at them.  The couch exploded in a shower of foam and leather just as they cleared it.

Ron arced his arm towards her enveloping her in flames.  She merely laughed as she snuffed them out with her power non the worse for wear from the attack.  "Not gonna cut it."

It did what it was meant to though.  While Rita was distracted Ron ushered Lila to hid behind the bar.  Hopefully she would be relatively safe there.  Slowly and carefully Ron followed Rita into the large dining area as they exchange fairly low powered blasts, each testing the others defences.

Suddenly she stopped and Ron barely had time to turned to see the table flying towards him.  It shattered as it hit him right on and knocked him backwards.  As he fell backwards a chair came at him knocking into his side.  Stumbling from the hit he was barely able to blast another chair that was coming at him.

He could hear Rita's laugher as he continued to frantically blast the furniture that kept flying at him.  As quickly as the assault started it stopped.  With a wary eye Ron looked around.  A metallic rattling behind him caught his attention.  Just in time he turned to see the onslaught of utensils coming his way.  At the last second he was able to put up his barrier, hissing in pain as one managed to get through.

With an almost feral growl he pulled the fork from his arm and tossed it to the ground.  He eyes turned white as he released a wave of power in all directions.  The remaining tables and chairs burst apart as they were consumed by the wave.  Rita merely laughed as she gracefully back flipped outside of the wave's range.

She made a disgusted tsk sound as she leapt onto the hotel's old piano and levitated it into the air.  The restaurant had a high ceiling giving her plenty of room to manoeuvre.

Ron let out another yell as he sent another, much more focused, blast her way.  The piano swerved to the side with ease as the power sailed right past her.  Rita whistled as she looked at the night sky through the hole Ron had just created.

"You're strong that's for sure."  She told him almost complimentarily.  "But you can't kill what you can't hit!"

It was obvious to Ron that he was quickly losing this fight.  He was beginning to tire and Rita was more powerfully than any Galerian he had faced so far.  With a hesitant hand he pulled out the yellow vile that he had stashed in his pocket before entering the hotel.  The untested drug called Skip.

Bringing it up to his neck he injected himself with the drug.  The effect was immediate.  His blood felt like it began to burn as the Skip worked its way through his system.  The pain was so great a cry couldn't even escape his lips.  Then it subsided only to be replaced with a rush of power.  It was completely exhilarating.

With one quick action he sent out another telekinetic wave at Rita.  This one travelled so fast that even she couldn't move out of the way in time.  The piano exploded as impact threw Rita to the ground with a sickening thud.

Slowly, painfully she stood.  Spiting the blood from her mouth she pull a fold out injection gun from her pocket.  "This drug was made just for me."

As she injected it she looked at Ron.  Her eyes glowed white with power as the air around her crackled with an abundance of white and blue energy.  Ron knew exactly what she had down, he'd experienced it himself not long ago.  She had just short-circuited herself.

Rita captured Ron in an almost affectionate embrace, seemingly oblivious to his cries of pain.  "If I'm going to die I'm taking you with me!  I don't want to die alone!"

Suddenly Ron found himself in the same white space as when Rainheart was dying.  He saw Rita a short distance away sitting in a pool of blood.

"I hate this life."  She told him, her eyes sad.  "Why do we have to live like this?  Why are we only allowed hate?  The humans are the lucky ones.  At least they get to know love."

As Ron found himself back in her painful embrace he heard her desperate plea again.  "I don't want to die alone!"

"Rion!"  Lilia's worried cry broke through the pain.  He couldn't die here.  He couldn't die yet.  He still had things to finish.  No matter how much he sympathised with Rita it couldn't end here.

"I'm sorry."  He said softly as he used as much power as his pained mind could muster to throw Rita off of him.  As her body hit the ground the energy around her forced her back up.  She kept bouncing off the ground until finally one bounce snapped her neck.  The energy dissipated and her body fell limp.

Ron stood there completely exhausted and panting heavily.  He stared at the body of Rita with a look of sympathy and understanding.  Suddenly there was nothing but burning pain as something hit his back and knocked him to the ground.

Shego stepped from the shadows, her hands glowing with green flame.  She came to stand over Ron.  He could barely recognize her as he began to fade in and out of consciousness before finally succumbing to the darkness.

"I don't believe it!"  She said shaking her head as she looked down at him.  The flames died in her hands.  "I was sent out into the world to find Rion, joined up with Drakken to cause a little mayhem along the way, and he was right under my nose all this time!  Of everyone I came across I never thought it was you!"

She seemed to ponder something for a minute before shrugging.  "Alright, maybe I notice the resemblance but I just thought it was coincidence.  I mean you're the buffoon!"

"Oh well."  Shego said as she ignited her flames.  "Time to die!"

Before she could deliver the finishing blow she was tackled to the side by a blur of red and black.  As Shego stood to face her new opponent she came face to face with Kim Possible in her black mission garb.

"Oh please!  Little miss teen hero showing up to save the day!"  Shego sneered mockingly.  "Go home Kimmie, you can't win this fight!"

"I've beat you time and time again.  This time will be no different."  Kim said confidently.

"Wrong!"  Shego exclaimed as she lashed out with a telekinetic shove that set Kim sailing across the room.  "This time I don't have to hold back!"

Angrily Shego made her way over to Kim idly tossing bits and pieces of debris out of the way as she went.  Kim was just pulling herself to her feet when Shego made it to her.  Tossing one hand out Shego threw her into the nearby wall and drug her up it a few feet.  In her other hand a ball of fire appeared.

"Time to say goodbye Kimmie!"  Shego said with a cruel smile on her lips.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain and her fireball died out.  She gurgled as blood spat from her mouth.  Looking down Shego saw a large piece of wood sticking out of her chest.  Turning around she was able to see a now conscious Ron on the floor with his hand outstretched.  With a look of shock Shego fell to the ground dead.

Kim fell unceremoniously to the ground and rushed to Ron's side.  "Ron, are you alright?"

Ron nodded as Lilia came up to join them.  Kim glanced around at the room that looked like it had been a war zone, the bodies, and finally Ron and the strange girl.  "What's going on?"


	9. The Endgame

Galerians: Ron

The Endgame

"Wow."

They had moved from the restaurant to one of the hotels many rooms after the fight.  Mainly to get away from the bodies and rubble.  After making themselves comfortable Ron told Kim what was going on, with Lilia adding things from her viewpoint.  They had just finished catching Kim up on the situation.

"I mean… No… Wow about covers it."  Kim said as she took everything in.

"Tell me about it."  Ron said as he looked downcast worriedly on how she would react.  "Are you going to be cool?  You know, with me being able to do all this weird stuff now?"

It was easy enough for Kim to tell that he was worried she wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore because of this.  She was wigged to be sure, but she could get by it.  Before she spoke Kim placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "Listen, it is weird but weird is kinda par for course for us.  I just wished you would have trusted me with this from the get go."

"I know.  It's just… it felt like something I had to do on my own.  I mean, I still don't know what to feel about my parents.  My real parents."  Ron told her as he turned to look her in the eyes.  "When I found out they were killed I remembered it.  I remembered WHO killed them.  I was just so angry.  I was ready to kill someone and I didn't want you to see me like that."

"That part definitely bothers me.  There had to be another way than to kill those people."

"No."  Ron said firmly.  "It was kill or die.  I chose kill.  This is big Kim.  Bigger than anything we've done before.  A lot more people will die if Dorothy isn't stopped.  Look out the window.  It's already started.  If I burn for the killing fine.  I'll pay the price after we finish this!"

Kim knew he was right.  She didn't have to like it, but he was right.  The part that bothered her most was that she wasn't surprised.  A part of her always knew he was capable of it.  That if it was to save someone or the situation was desperate enough that he could cross the line for the greater good.  This was the part of him she only got to see glimpses of over the years.  A strong, serious, competent man.  That was who was in front of her now in place of her normally goofy, jovial friend.

Sighing Kim let the subject drop for now and turned to the room's other occupant.  "I understand why Ron can do what he can, but how are you telepathic?"

Lilia looked startled for a moment being brought back into the conversation so abruptly but quickly covered it.  "When the virus program was placed in me it changed how my mind works a little.  I use more of my brain than most.  That's what causes my telepathy."

"That must be why they experimented on me when I was a kid instead of killing me outright."  Ron stated as he looked over at her.  "The launch program would have already given me some potential.  They just would have had to expand on it."

"That actually makes a lot of sense.  They probably would have gotten a lot of data they could use in other experiments."

"You mean I'm right?"  Ron asked somewhat surprised.

"Probably."

"Booya!"  Ron exclaimed jumping to his feet and pumping his fist in the air with a goofy grin on his face.  Kim let out a little chuckle at her friend's outburst.  Maybe even this side of him wasn't completely serious.

---------------0010100---------------

"Sir, you know civilians aren't allowed in Sat. Ops. Right?"  One of the younger agents finally got the nerve to ask as he approached Deputy Director Sam Harrison.

"I'll take full responsibility.  Go back to your station."

"Yes sir."

"Sir!"  Another agent exclaimed.  "We've lost contact with all units sent to Michelangelo City.  They're dead."

Harrison sighed.  How had things gotten so out of control?  "Lost contact doesn't mean dead."

"It was shown on the broadcast Dorothy is sending out."

"With all due respect."  The younger agent spoke up again.  "We may have to consider the possibility of sending a nuke and cutting our loses."

"There's two things wrong with that."  Harrison said as he glared at the young man.  "One; we don't set off nukes on our own soil.  Two; I more worried about IT using them against us."

They younger agent's eyes nearly bulged out of his head they went so wide.  "You… you don't think it could really do that do you?  I mean it would make things unliveable for it's own monstrosities!"

"Not necessarily."  Gary spoke up for the first time since he and his wife entered Sat. Ops.  "I used to work at the hospital the experiments were performed at.  If Dorothy planned on using nuclear weapons it would make sure it's 'children' were engineered to survive the radiation."

"My god!"

An eerie quiet filled the room after that, as many were just too shocked or sickened to speak.  The silence was broken as every monitor in the room was suddenly showing the same thing instead of just the ones with Dorothy's television feed.  The monitors showed images of three teens sneaking around the base of Mushroom Tower in Michelangelo City.

"Ron!"  Gary and Anna exclaimed as they recognized their son on the screens.

---------------0010100---------------

Dr. Possible sat staring entranced at his television, now joined by his wife and sons.  On a normal night the adults would have sent their children away from the horrific images on the screen.  This wasn't a normal night however.  They could only stare in disbelief as the nightmare unfolded before them.

The images jumped quickly across the screen giving off a good sense of the sheer volume of the carnage.  Suddenly the images slowed and instead began to follow the actions of a small group of teens.  Two they recognized and their worst fear was confirmed.

"Kimmie."

---------------0010100---------------

The sports bar was crowded, as it usually was when a game was supposed to be on.  That wasn't what was on tonight though.  Tonight the screen showed what looked like a perverse cross between a horror movie and a war film.  Too bad it was all too real.

Reactions were mixed as this madness cut into the game.  Some ordered stronger drinks to try and drown out the images.  Some ran out to find their families.  Others could only stare.

It was that last group that Steve Barkin was in.  Before he was a teacher he had been in the military.  Even then he had never seen anything like this.

A man in the corner could be heard praying, but Steve paid him no heed as the screen settled on a trio of people.  He allowed himself a small smile as he recognized two familiar students.

"Go get 'em kids."

---------------0010100---------------

They made their way through the streets of Michelangelo City as quickly and covertly as they could.  This area of the city was eerily quiet as they made their way to the destination.  It made sense though, this was the first section that Dorothy had wrestled complete control of since this was where she herself resided.  She was in the largest structure of the city, Mushroom Tower.  It was aptly named.  The tower was mostly just a long cylinder, but had a large mushroom shaped dome on the top.  Thus the name.

It was hard for the trio.  Even though the battle was mostly over here they still came across the occasional person confronted by Dorothy's soldiers.  The desire to fight for them was great, but in most cases would have already been too late.  They had to push that desire down.  They knew that the only way to end this was to destroy Dorothy and to do that they needed to get to Mushroom Tower.  The trio couldn't afford to be exposed and swarmed by her forces yet.

It seemed like hours before they made it to the tower.  When they finally did they nearly laughed at what they saw.  Dorothy practically had an army at her command and only had two soldiers guarding the front door.  Either Dorothy was supremely confident or it expected them.  Neither was particularly appealing.

A small trail of electricity danced along a panel next to the large metal door catching the guards' attention.  As the panel shorted the door slid open to reveal another door that also slid open.  Soon all twelve of the security doors opened making a clear path inside.

As the guards turned back around they saw the three teens walking towards them, Ron with one of his hands out.  They barely had time to raise their weapons before they were flung into the metal exterior of the tower with sickening thuds.  They hung suspended in the air for a moment before casually being tossed aside landing in crumpled heaps.

Ron and Lilia were already on their way inside before he noticed Kim wasn't with them.  Turning around he saw her staring at the bodies.

"They were mindless drones kp."  He reassured her.  "No independent thought or free will whatsoever.  We can't afford to be stopped.  Not when we're this close."

He extended his hand out to Kim as she continued to stare at the dead guards.  Raising her gaze to meet his she took his offered hand.

"You're right, I know.  Let's just get this over with."  Was her comment as they made their way inside.

The walls and floors inside were an almost blood red and the way the wires and metal curved gave the whole place an almost organic feel.  Kim could have sworn she heard Ron mumble sick and wrong a few times as they wondered the long corridor to the central room.  When they got there they found the room to be completely empty except for a circular panel on the floor and an identical one on the ceiling directly above it.

"Welcome Rion."  A computerize yet distinctly female voice echoed through the room.  "I've been waiting for you."

As the voice died down the panels began to glow a bright red.

"Yep.  Definitely a trap."  Ron quipped.

"Still have to go."  Kim added.

The three teens stepped on the glowing panel and were quickly engulfed by the red light.  As there bodies began to disappear it was Lilia who made the comment Kim had been waiting to Ron to make.  "Does this thing remind anyone of Star Trek?"

They appeared again in a large room inside the dome at the top of the tower.  The ceiling of the room was high, but it had to be.  There were five identical figures carved into the walls.  Each was a naked woman that looked like a cross between a human and a machine.  Man-sized pods were on the wall where the woman's womb would have been.  Everything was red in keeping with the decorating motif.

Seeing no immediate danger they went to examine the pods to find names engraved on them.  Birdman, Rita, Shego, and Rainheart.  When they made it to the final one they found it to be different than the others.

"Hey."  Ron said.  "There's no name on this one."

"That one's yours."  An eerily familiar voice said from behind them.

They spun around to view the newcomer and gasped at what they saw.  It was a teenage boy dressed head to toe in black.  The t-shirt and pants were leather with a matching chocker around his neck.  Black combat boots completed the ensemble.  That wasn't the startling thing though.  He looked just like Ron.

The boy's cold expression didn't change as he kept walking towards them.  "Haven't you figured it out yet Rion?  You are a Galerian, just like me!"

Kim grabbed her friend's shoulder and shook him lightly as she saw his body tense and his eyes glaze slightly.  "It's a trick Ron!  It's…"

"Oh it's no trick."  The other boy said, his voice held an edge unheard of in Ron's.  A malicious smile played on his lips as he stopped an arms reach in front of Ron.  "You are a Galerian.  The real Rion died in Michelangelo Memorial all those years ago.  You and I were created to look just like him brother.  We were created with his memories and even the launch program in our minds.

"See mother always feared the virus program in Lilia's mind.  There was always a possibility that another means to launch in could be found.  Problem was we couldn't find the little bitch.  That's where you came in.  You were created to find Lilia.  After all, with your appearance and memories you were the perfect bait."

Idly Ron registered Lilia take an involuntary step away from him at the boy's last comment but blocked it out as his twin kept speaking.

"Granted it hit a little snag when you were kidnapped by that researcher, but everything worked out in the end.  And it will end here.  See while you were created to find Lilia, I was created to kill you!"

"Who are you?"  Ron said speaking up for the first time.

"Cain."  His twin replied before unleashing a wave of energy unlike anything Ron had yet experienced.  Only the barrier he managed to put up kept him from being swept away by it.  Kim and Lilia weren't so lucky as they were picked up and slammed into the wall.  They slumped to the ground unconscious.  They would have been dead if Ron hadn't been able to split his focus enough to slow them before the wall.

As the wave dissipated Ron forwent the use of his powers.  Before Cain could unleash another blast he tackled him and they slid across the smooth metal floor.  Going with their momentum Ron grabbed Cain by the front of his shirt and rolled to his feet pulling his adversary with him.  As they righted Ron threw him as far as he could with his strength and a telekinetic boost, determined to take the fight away from his friends.

Cain was able to roll to his feet and throw his hands out towards Ron in one fluid motion.  Electricity danced along his fingertips and streaked out to engulf its target.  Ron's body spasm as the discharge spread through his body and it was all he could do to remain on his feet.

He unleashed a powerful blast of energy at a level he had only previously used at the end of his fight with Rita.  Cain was easily able to avoid the blast but stopped the electricity giving Ron a brief reprieve.  Determined not to give Cain another chance to fry him Ron pressed his attack.

Blast after blast was sent but Cain easily avoided them all.  He ducked into a crouch to avoid one and as he came up he pushed off the floor.  As his feet left the ground he literally flew at Ron.  As their bodies collided the impact echoed throughout the entire room.  They crumbled to the floor, Cain on top with his hands around Ron's throat.

"You killed Birdman."

---------------0010100---------------

Steve Barkin watched as the life was being choked out of one of his students on live tv.  He had always seen potential in Ron.  If he hadn't he would never have went after the 'snow beast' with him during that school trip.  With a little discipline he thought Ron would even make a good soldier.  From him that's pretty much the highest praise one could get.

The boy was strong.  Even though he rarely showed it, it was plain to see for anyone who bothered to look.  Now he just hoped it would be enough to get him through this.

"Don't let him walk all over you kid.  Fight!"

---------------0010100---------------

Ron's body convulsed under Cain as electricity was flooded through his boy.  The pain was intense and made it near impossible to break the vice grip on his neck.

"You killed Rainheart."

---------------0010100---------------

The Possible's stared at their television wishing there was something they could do.  The parents held each other as they saw their daughter slump to the ground and now a boy who was like a son to them was being murdered right before them.  It was almost too much to bear.

Their twin sons sat on the floor before them.  When the fight had started they were cheering Ron on.  It looked like he was wining then.  Now… now they were silent with Rufus between them.  It was Tim who broke the silence.

"You can't die.  You promised.  You promised you'd come back for Rufus."

---------------0010100---------------

Cain laughed at the sounds that came from Ron as he tightened his grip.  The sounds of a dying man desperately trying to get some air.

"You killed Rita."

---------------0010100---------------

Wade sat in front of his computer screens watching the scene unfold feeling utterly helpless.  Even when Kim and Ron were on missions there was always something he could do to help them.  Research, a ride, something, anything was better than this.

For the first time there was absolutely nothing he would do to help his friends.

"It can't end like this!  Not like this!  I'm sorry!"

---------------0010100---------------

Ron's vision began to fill with spots as darkness began to creep in all around him.

"You killed Shego."

---------------0010100---------------

The entirety of Sat. Ops. was glued to the screen showing a teen doing what all the agents in the room felt was there job.  A young man was risking his life to save theirs, maybe even the world, and now it looked like he would die because of it.  Silently they wondered if they would have the courage to face what he has.

Two people in the room had very different thoughts though.  Ron's adoptive parents had to use a railing and each other to keep from falling to the ground as their only son was dying before their eyes.  This wasn't how it was supposed to be.  The child is supposed to bury the parents not the other way around.

"Please God.  Please save our boy!"

---------------0010100---------------

 "You killed all your brothers and sisters!"  Cain screamed in disgust.

---------------0010100---------------

Kim stirred on the other side of the room, her head bleeding from a small gash the impact with the wall had caused.  She ignored the pain as she saw Ron being choked to death across the room.  All her instincts told her to rush over to him, but she couldn't.  Energy was dancing all around them.  If she tried to get any closer she'd be fried.  All Kim could do was look on helpless.

"You can't die Ron!  I need you!"

---------------0010100---------------

"Who will be next?  You?  Me?"  Cain asked venomously.  "From the looks of it you.  Did you really think you could win?  If the others had killed you and the girl we won.  If you made it here with her, mother and I would kill her ourselves.  We still won.  You're a fool to think you had a chance!"

"At least I'm not a mama's boy!"  Ron somehow managed to say with equal venom between his choked gasps.

With all the strength he had Ron willed his arms to rise.  Placing his hands on Cain's face he tried to push him back only to elicit a cruel laugh at the attempt.  The laugh turned into a cry of pain as Ron dug his thumbs into Cain's eyes.  With a burst of power through his hands Ron sent Cain sailing off him to land in a crumpled heap a few feet away.

Ron slowly and shakily picked himself up to his feet.  Looking back to where Cain had fallen he saw only empty floor.  Suddenly something fell from above.  Cain hovered in the air much like Birdman had as his energies met with Ron's.

Despite the pure white of the energy flowing around him Cain appeared as no more than a silhouette.  Slowly that white turned an eerie black that seemed to absorb light rather than give it off.  The pure darkness of Cain's power met with the pure light of Ron's in a brilliant display of power that lent a perfect imagery to the situation.  Two young men, the same yet different, facing off with the fate of the world between them.  Light and dark, good and evil, two sides of the same coin.

Yet only one could win.

Both men screamed in agony and determination as the energies began to invade their bodies.  Neither letting up, neither giving in.  For a moment they were in a standstill.

Suddenly the energies dissipated and Cain went flying backwards.  He screamed in pain as he soared beyond his control as his body convulsed from Ron's energy.  His screams stopped as his body crushed against the wall in a gruesome shower of blood and gore.

Ron collapsed to the ground exhausted.  His body burned and protested against every attempt to stand.  The battle had been trying, his body and powers pushed to their limits.  He took a beating, again, and with all the others today he didn't know if he had anything left.

All he could think about was allowing the approaching darkness to envelop him in blissful unconsciousness.  As it closed in he was barely able to make out Kim and the now conscious Lilia running to him calling his name.  That's when it came back to him.  It wasn't over yet.  They still needed to confront Dorothy.

He fought to remain awake as they reached him.  At first Kim tried to stop his attempts to sit up but seeing it futile she helped instead.  The trio sat there on the floor for a few minutes as they tried to recover somewhat from the latest battle.

"You're not a Galerian Ron."  Lilia told him reassuringly.  "It was just a lie to get to you.  To make us doubt."

"No.  It is true."  Ron said after staying silent for a moment, having regained enough energy to speak.  "I know it.  I can feel it.  At this point there is no point in denying it.  I am a Galerian."

The girls stared at him, unsure how to take this news.  As he began to stand they helped him to his feet.  He leaned on them heavily as they made their way to the only door in the room.  "I think it's time I had a chat with Mother."

As they went through the door they found themselves on a catwalk in a hollowed out portion of the dome.  At the end of the catwalk, which stopped just before the outer wall, was the central control panel.  All along the outer wall was lined with wires and circuitry, both normal and cellular.  But far the most impressive was the part right in front of the catwalk.

Dorothy itself.  It looked a lot like the statues of the woman in the other room.  A sick combination of organic and machine.  The eyes were not exactly closed, there just didn't seem to be anything there.  As it opened its mother the reason became clear.  The mouth opened like an eyelid and they found a large eye staring at them.

The arms for the most part didn't have the cellular components of the face.  Its large mechanical arms had wires and circuitry running like cartilage and had a large eyeball attached to either palm.  There were no legs, as it seemed to attach to the wall at the waist.

"Welcome home Rion."  Dorothy greeted as they approached, its voice seemed to emanate from everywhere.  "You've done well to bring Lilia to me.  Now kill her."

It was obvious Dorothy was trying to manipulate him.  And rather poorly at that.  You'd think a delusional super computer with a god complex could come up with better.  Then again it was delusional.

"No."  Was Ron's simple answer.

"You dare defy me?!  I am your creator!  I am your God!"  Dorothy bellowed angrily.

Ron stared resolutely into its revolting main eye.  "I dare!  Lilia, give me the virus program!"

Immediate Lilia complied.  She placed a hand on either side of his head and concentrate.  The program flowed quickly from her mind to his and she could feel her telepathy leave with it.  That didn't matter anymore though.  This would be over soon.

When it was done Ron was about to touch the main console but stopped when Dorothy spoke, his hand hovering there.

"You can't do the Rion!"  It pleaded desperately.  "I'm your Mother!"

"I have a mother and you're not her."  He said coldly.  "And my name is Ron!"

With that he slammed his hand onto the console and opened his mind to the launch program within him.  The virus program flowed through him into the console.  His eyes went white save for the binary code flashing in green past them.

But Dorothy wasn't helpless.  She had created the Galerians and engineered her cellular components with many of the same properties.  In a desperate attempt for survival she lashed out with all her power destroying the console and lifting Ron into the air.

Again Kim and Lilia were thrown back from the power.  Kim was lucky enough to land on the catwalk, Lilia wasn't so lucky.  She thought the end had come as she felt the blast push her over the railing.  It didn't matter as long as Dorothy was destroyed.  Her body came to a sudden halt and she looked up to see that Kim had managed to dive over and grab her.  Kim tried desperate to pull Lilia up but couldn't.  The energy from Dorothy and Ron was pushing them violently and it was all she could do to keep them both from plummeting god knows how many floors down.

Ron should have been screaming in pain as the energy tore at his body but he didn't.  Instead he smiled.  Even with the console destroyed he was still able to transmit the rest of the virus.  As the moments wore on Dorothy's power grew less and less until it finally dissipated and Ron fell to the ground.  Dorothy's cellular components began to rapidly decay and turn to dust but it didn't stop there.  The process spread to the mechanical components.  Soon everything that was Dorothy was destroyed and, with one final screamed death throw, was finally defeated.

Kim had managed to pull Lilia up and the two ran to Ron's prone form.  His gaze was glossed over and his breathing ragged as Kim pulled him into her lap and stoked his face.

The toll on his body had been great but the toll on his mind had been greater.  It had been the only way once the console had been destroyed.  He had to focus solely on the transfer.  There was no more time for finesse and he had sent everything he had.

"It's going to be alright."  Kim told him as she continued to stroke his cheek.  He would have leaned into her touch if he could.  "We'll get an ambulance and everything will be ok."

"No."  Ron said weakly, gravely.  "I'm… dying…"

Somehow he managed to grab hold of both there hands.  "I'm glad… I met you.  Both of you.  I… love… you… Kim…"

With that last word Ron Stoppable died and as the images faded from their screens the world mourned.


	10. Funeral for a Friend

Galerians: Ron

Funeral for a Friend

The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky as birds chirped cheerily.  It was truly a beautiful day.  But for those who stood in the graveyard for the service in wasn't right.  It just seemed like it was mocking them.  Or perhaps merely provided light to an otherwise grim atmosphere.

The graveyard had to be closed off for Ron's funeral.  He was a hero to many now.  It was sad how he achieved that in death when in life he was usually overlooked.  Over a hundred people came to the service.  Hundreds more were locked outside the gates.  Many reporters among them hoping to get a comment from friends and family.

Some of the people they had helped on their missions had come to the service.  Those who had actually acknowledge Ron to begin with anyways.  The leaders of several countries also came to pay last respects to a man who had given his life for theirs.  Even a group of students from their school came.  Surprisingly Bonnie was among them.  All had tears in their eyes, but no more so than the close friends and family.

This funeral was about closure.  It was purely symbolic.  It was no secret that the casket being laid into the earth was empty.  Ron's body wasn't here.  The government had it in some lab somewhere doing research into the Galerians.  Even Wade couldn't find out where it was.

As the service came to an end people began to walk up to the open grave.  They would toss a red rose in and say their own goodbyes.

Wade walked up to the grave, his mother trailing behind him.  He had actually left his room and come in person.  It only seemed right.  Some things have to be done in the flesh.  Like goodbyes.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you."  He whispered as he tossed in his rose.  Wade openly cried as his mother led him away.

When Monique came up her face was streaked with tear tracks and she clutched two slips of paper in her hands.

"Hey Ron.  I picked up tickets for the GWA a few weeks ago.  I wanted to surprise you with them.  I wish I could go with you and argue over who was better, Pain King or Steel Toe.  Now it just doesn't seem important."

As she threw the tickets in she told him.  "I'm going to miss you."

Bonnie came up after her.  She looked uncomfortable and her eyes were watery.

"I know we weren't friends.  I was always horrible to you."  She admitted.  "Even then you were always nice.  I want you to know that I'm going to make an effort to be nicer to people.  Just don't expect me to change overnight."

With that said she tossed in her rose and walked away.

Soon after Steve Barkin approached the grave.  He wore his old military dress uniform and gave a perfect salute.

"I think you deserve this more than me."  He said simply as he pulled out a military metal, a Silver Cross, and dropped it in.

"I wish I had the chance to know you better."  Lilia said as she came up to the grave.  "From what I saw you were an amazing person and if even half the things I've heard these last few days are true then you were far more than that."

She dropped her rose and left as the Possible family, minus Kim, approached.

"You always looked out for Kim.  I don't think we ever told you how much that meant to us."  Mrs. Possible said.

After a moment her husband spoke.  "We're proud of you."

Jim and Tim couldn't think of anything to say.  They cried as they held onto their parents.  Rufus was between them crying as well.  He walked to the edge of the grave and as the family placed roses in he placed a packet of diablo sauce.

The former Stoppables came next, desperately clinging to each other as they said goodbye to their only son.  "We want you to know how proud we are of everything you have ever done."  His father said as his voice caught.

"Know that we miss you and that we will always love you.  But we'll be together again one day.  So be good up there ok?"  His mother finished.

They continued to cling to each other as they placed their roses and slowly made there way out.

Kim had waited until all the others had finished before going up.  She idly played with the rose in her hand.

"Ron, I don't know what I'm going to do without you.  I can't remember a time where I've had to be without you."  She told him as tears streamed down her face.

"You said you love me before you died.  I just want you to know that I love you too.  Now and forever."

Carefully she placed her rose in and walked to where he family was waiting by the car.  In Ron's grave a mass of red covered the empty coffin save for one spec of white.  A single white rose.

---------------0010100---------------

The reception was held at the Possibles' home.  They had offered since their home was larger than the Stoppables'.  Kim didn't bother to make idle chitchat though.  She went straight up to her room and pulled out a large photo album.  Every page contained a set of memories of her and Ron together.

She sobbed quietly as she remembered, not bother to acknowledge when her door was opened and someone came in.

"I thought you'd be up here."  Lilia said as she sat down beside her.

"So many memories."  Kim said as she continued to stare at the photos.  "I don't remember a time without him in my life.  There are so many stories in these pictures."

"I'd like to hear them."  Lilia said as she placed a comforting hand on Kim's shoulder.  "If you'd like to tell them."

For a moment Kim did nothing.  Then she slowly met her gaze with a small smile.  "I'd like that."

Turning back to the first page Kim pointed out the first picture.  "Ron and I met in pre-k.  I was being picked on by some bullies and Ron…"

End

---------------0010100---------------

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who reviewed.  It's nice to know people actually read this and I hope you enjoyed it.  The general consensus seemed to be weird but interesting.

Now I guess I better get off my ass and finish Divided We Stand.


End file.
